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(No Model.)

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O. H. HASSELMANQ VOTING BOOTH.

Patented Sept. 2, 1890. I .1.

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0. H. HASSELMAN.

VOTING BOOTH.

' NO.435,604. PatentedSept.2, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO II. IIASSELMAN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,604, dated September 2, 1890.

Application filed April 15, 1890. Serial No. 348.035- (lIo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO H. IIASSELHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Election-Booths, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to produce a structure which maybe manufactured in quantities and sold ready made for the use of voters in elections under what is known as the Australian system, and which may be conveniently packed for storage or for shipment from place to place. This object is accomplished by hingin g a number of parts together in a peculiar manner, which when opened out form the sides of a series of booths, but which may be folded flatly together, and thus closely packed for purposes of trans? portation or storage.

Said invention consists in the peculiar hinging, arranging, and fastening of these parts, and in certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a series of booths, set up and ready for use, embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional plan View thereof; Fig. 3, 'a View similar to Fig. 2, except that the parts are partly folded; Fig 4, a similar view with the parts entirely folded, showing the structure in condition for packing or transportation; Fig. 5, a detail view of one corner, including a peculiar hinge; Fig. (5, a detail perspective view of the fastening device or raillock by which the stay-rail is attached to the upper front corners of the booths; Fig. 7, a central vertical sectional view thereof on the dotted line 7 7 in Figs. 6 and S; Fig. 8, a horizontal sectional view of the same on the dotted line 8 8 in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9, a fragmentary interior perspective view of one of the doors and immediately adjacent parts, showing the hinge and a spring arrangement therefor.

A convenient arrangement for electionbooths of this character is to make three booths in one structure, and I have illustrated a structure embodying this number. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to a particular number of booths in one structure, as obviously, within reasonable limits, the number can be varied at pleasure.

In said drawings the portions marked A, A, and A are the sections which form the backs of the booths; 8,15, 13 and B the sections which form the sides of the booths; C, C, and C the doors to the booths; D, a stay-rail adapted to be attached to the upper front corners of the sides, thus securing the structure in its open position; E and E, the two forms of hinges by which the backs and sides of the booths are united, and F shelves which serve as desks for the use of the voters.

The backs A, A, and A and the sides B, B, B and B I prefer to make all alike, except that the backs are slightly wider than the sides. I prefer also to make them in the form of plain panels, with the sides extending down to form legs, this being a simple and inexpensive, but at the same time a light and durable construction. These panels are hinged together, as illustrated in the drawings, and as will be presently described.

The doors 0, O, and G are hinged to the fnont edges of the sides B, B and B preferably by plain loose hinges 0*, as shown most plainly in Fig. 9, and are therefore capable of being lifted off when it is desired to fold up the structure. I prefer that these doors should swing freely in both directions; but it is necessary that they should normally remain in a closed position, and therefore I provide springs 0 which I secure to the sides by screw-eyes c or otherwise, and these springs extend out at right angles with said sides in line with the closed posit-ion of the doors and engage with eyes 0 on said doors, as shown in said Fig. 9. These springs therefore normally hold the doors in closed position, but will bend easily when it is desired to open said doors. When the doors are lifted ofi the hinges, the ends of the springs attached thereto will swing upwardly, permitting a ready detachment of the doors.

I have shown, and prefer to use, regular doors; but curtains may be substituted for the doors without departing from my invention so far as it relates to other features.

The stay-rail D is of a length equal to that of the entire structure, and is adapted, as before stated, to be attached to the upper front corners of the sides. This attachment is effected in my preferred construction by raillocks, each of which consists of two parts, one of which d is in the form of a casting having a tapered dovetailed slot in its outer face. The other part (1 is in the form of a correspondingly-tapered dovetailed slide and is adapted to fit into the slot in the face of the part d. There are "as many of these raillocks as there are sides, and the parts at are secured to the'upper front corners of the sides of the structure, while the parts d are secured to the inner face of the rail at distances apart corresponding to the width of the booths or compartments. The dovetailed formation of these parts enables the rail, when placed in position and brought down firmly into place, to hold the sides rigidly to their proper position. Said rail-locks are, however, more fully described in application Serial No. 348,992, filed April 22, 1890.

The hinges E are of an ordinary and wellknown form. The hinges E are substantially like the hinges E, except that one member thereof is bent at right angles a sufficient distance back from the pintle, so that the part carried thereby can fold over the part carried by the hinges E. By this means the closely-folded position of parts shown in Fig. 4 is rendered possible.

The shelves F are arranged for the use of the Voter in preparing his ballot, and are preferably mounted on simple cleats f, secured to the sides of the structure. Said cleats project but slightly, if at all, beyond the frame-work of the panels forming the sides, being principally in the depressions in said panels, and therefore do not interfere with the folding up of said sides.

Having thus fully described my saidinvention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a voting-booth, of the backs and sides to said booth and hinges E and E'connecting the same, said hinges E being formed with one member bent at right angles a distance from the pintle equal to the thickness of one of the said sides, whereby the part carried thereby can be folded over on the other part and the several parts kept in parallel relation with each other when folded, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a voting-booth, with the folding sides thereof and a rail connecting said sides, of a device by which said rail is connected to the edges of the sides of said structures, said connecting device consisting, essentially, of a part having a tapered dovetailed slot and a part in the form of a tapered dovetailed slide formed to fit into said slot, the sides being hinged together and thus adapted to be folded up without being taken apart, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a voting-booth, of the backs A, A, and A and sides B, B, B and B and hinges E and E, whereby said backs and sides are connected together and adapted to be folded up flat, as shown, for packing and transportation, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the three back portions A, A, and A the four side portions B, B, B and Bi'the hinges connecting the same together, the doors 0, C, and O and the rail.

D, said several parts forming booths for elec tion purposes,substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, in a voting-booth, of the backs and sides to said compartments, a stay-rail connecting said sides, doors hinged to the front edges of said sides by loose hinges and adapted to swing loosely either way through the door-opening, and springs whereby said doors are held normally to closed position, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of April, A. D. 1890.

OTTO H. I-IASSELMAN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

